Official MLBlog of the Kansas City Royals front office.

October 2009

Do you have what it takes to entertain with the best? The Kansas City Royals will be holding auditions in November for the 2010 K Crew. If you feel you have the style, skill and enthusiasm to be a member of the premier MLB interactive team, this is your chance to show us!

The K Crew will be in its fourth season as a MLB entertainment team, and the Royals are eager to select individuals that will demonstrate excellent entertainment and performance ability and a highly enthusiastic personality. In addition to providing entertainment at Royals home games during the 2010 MLB season, the K Crew is called upon to make promotional appearances and participate in community and charity events.

It’s your time to shine, so come out to this year’s K Crew auditions. Auditions will be held Saturday, November 14th from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium. While walk-up applicants are welcomed, you can pre-register now. Mandatory audition attire includes an athletic shirt, shorts and tennis shoes. Applicants will not be considered without this attire.

Congrats to Royals first baseman Billy Butler, who was named the American League Player of the Month for September today!

Billy batted .363 in the month with 10 doubles, six home runs and 26 RBI. Billy recorded his fourth 3-double game of the season on September 9 vs. Detroit (a MLB record) and had a pair of 2-homer games on September 7 vs. Los Angeles and September 25 vs. Minnesota. Billy’s 26 RBI in the month led the American League and were tied for second in baseball.

Butler, who picked up an American League Player of the Week award both in August and September, joins Zack Greinke (April) as winners of the monthly award in 2009. He and Zack are the first Royals duo to win the award in the same season since 2000 when Jermaine Dye and Johnny Damon took home the honor.

Butler will receive a specially designed trophy and a Sharp Aquos television.

Zack Greinke is one of six nominees for the “Major League Baseball Clutch Performer of the Month Presented by Pepsi” award. This award is voted on EXCLUSIVELY by fans.

Greinke was 3-0 in September with wins against Detroit, Boston and Minnesota. He led the majors with a 0.55 ERA. Here’s your chance to vote for Zack, who also won this award in April! Vote from now until October 9 at pepsiclutch.mlb.com. The winner will be announced on October 13.

The Royals are at Minnesota this weekend for the final regular season series at the Metrodome. The Twins have their sights set on a potential playoff date with New York, while Kansas City looks to play the spoiler role. Here’s your Kansas City lineup:

Reminder – Saturday’s game starts at 3:10 and can be seen on the FOX Network. Here are some Zack stats to get you ready for tomorrow.

Greinke enters with 237 strikeouts. He needs eight K’s to move past Dennis Leonard’s single-season club record of 244, set in 1977. Zack has struck out eight or more in half of his 32 starts.

His ERA is currently 2.06. He would have to go at least 7.0 innings without an earned run to have an ERA that would round to 1.99 or less. No pitcher in the American League has had that low an ERA since Pedro Martinez posted a 1.74 ERA in 2000 for Boston. In addition, no pitcher has posted an ERA in Zack’s range while throwing at least 220 innings since Martinez (1.90) and Roger Clemens (2.05) in 1997.

Zack has a good shot to post the best ERA in Royals history. Roger “The Spider” Nelson compiled a 2.08 ERA in 1972.

Greinke is 4-0 with a 0.43 ERA in his last six starts.

Zack has held the opponent to zero or one earned run in 18 of 32 starts, including 10 starts with no earned runs allowed.

His ERA after the All-Star Break is 1.97.

He had a 1.70 ERA at Kauffman Stadium this season, the best in Royals history.

Has allowed just 11 home runs in 223.1 innings, an average of 0.44 per nine innings, the best mark by a Royal since Kevin Appier in 1993

Greinke can reach 17 wins, which would tie Paul Byrd’s total from 2002 as the most in a season by a Royals hurler since Kevin Appier’s 18 in 1993.

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